It’s hard to fathom what is the point of this especially with
no knowledge of films of Luis Brunel (1962
). They may be Spanish classics or perhaps have a past status
like the modern-day Wes Anderson films
but if you don’t know what that was there is nothing here to help you appreciate
it. It is like a Monty Python show that ends with “and now for something completely
different” or a Spike Milligan sketch which
ends with “what are we going to do now”. This play lurches from one bizarre set
up to another . It is something to do with a shortage of food and water and an elite
society’s oblivious pursuit of satisfaction to the exclusion of the rest of society.
Even the rebellious “Fritz” (Chumisa Dornford-May), a cipher for so many teenagers
rejecting their parents outlook while enjoying their financial support is
seduced by a man in uniform (Richard Fleeshman) . When the Bishop arrives
(no not Monty Python’s
Spanish Inquisition, played by Harry Hadden-Paton) ,it pokes fun at the world’s
religious leaders, although Dave Allen was much more cutting and insightful in
his religious parodies.
Sure, the audience laugh at various points but is that from
just a sense of relief that something has happened to relieve the tedium that tarnishes
the memory of Stephen Sondheim? Oh, how I yearned for the glorious 2017 production
at the NT of
Follies, or to relieve the memory of the magnificent Denis
Quilley and Shelia Hancock in
Sweeney Todd in 1980 or so many wonderful Sondheim
musicals in between. Indeed,
Side by Side by Sondheim in 1976 with Millicent
Martin and Julia McKenzie was a more fitting
tribute to the great composer and lyricist and that predated many of his best works!
The second Act drops all pretence of being a Sondheim
musical with just occasional underscores and becomes a cross between the 1982
ITV series Whoops Apocalypse ( where an insane fundamentalist called the
Deacon threaten nuclear devastation, here the madman is played by Denis O’Hare)
and the 2005 Philip Ridley play Mercury Fur ( a group stuck in a post-apocalyptic
world) with the characters trapped in a room as the outside world is destroyed.
What will happen to them? Who Cares? Into this situation they drop the Victoria
Wood creation for Julie Walters of the waitress who delivers “two soups” which
the wasted wonderful Tracie Bennett recreates.
There is much talent on show aside from Tracie Bennett, seen
hovering the gleaming floor as we take our seats, with Rory Kinnear as Leo ,
Jane Krakowski as his wife Marianne and
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Martha Plimpton as the Zimmer’s and of course the vast
public resources of the NT are on display in the mirrored stage of Act 1 and
the baroque grandeur of the second Ac that we are entitled to expect more from the show. The appeal might be to the young cause driven
teenagers like Fritz but how do they afford the £110 seat prices? For their parents
who might recall some of the music and shows that this seems derivative from,
£110 is a very full price for such an unsatisfactory show. Yes, we can say it was
unfinished when Sondheim died but that is an excuse. Much better to revive
Side
by Side by Sondheim to celebrate his life and as a fitting tribute to his
legacy.
Nick Wayne
One star.
Inside No9 Stage Fright ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Inside No 9 ran from 2014 to 2024 for 9 series and 55 episodes. Each 30-minute episode was a self-contained story with new characters and a new setting but all starring Pemberton or Shearsmith the show creators. For an older generation it will have reminded them of Tales from the Unexpected which ran from 1979 to 1988 but with more comic element to juxtapose the horror. If you are an Inside 9 fan you will love this stage adaption at the Wyndhams Theatre and its subsequent UK Tour, it its mix of old favourite moments from TV and new elements inspired by the stories of ghosts that haunt the West End Theatre and references to current trends in theatre. If like us you did not see the TV series, it still works as a theatrical event although some of the references are missed. Equally some of the references back to comedians (like Mike and Bernie Winters) or TV (like Crackerjack) will pass over the heads of the younger generation.
Like any sketch show some elements work better than other but the joy of seeing two performers who are masters of the form live on stage carries the audience through the weaker elements and dazzles in the stronger ones. Steve Pemberton dominates throughout with an excellent range of comic creations, an occasional nod to the great Eric Morecambe and an energy and delivery that entertains in every scene. Reece Shearsmith provides the more serious characters, often the straight man to the clown, usually in charge of the situation while Pemberton creates chaos around him. They work in the great tradition of 20th century double acts and the front curtain chat with the audience and finale song and dance is a powerful tribute to the greatest of them, Morecambe and Wise.
Fans of the TV show will recall the episode, Bernie Clifton Dressing room which featured two ageing comics Cheese (Shearsmith) and Crackers (Pemberton) meeting up after 30 years to discuss recreating some of their routines for one last time. Their reunion and rehearsal is full of pathos and laughs which resonates with the older modern audience who can reflect on how comedy has changed over the past thirty years. It is beautifully conceived sketch with a clever final twist. You can buy a souvenir Cheese and Cracker mug in the foyer!
The freshness of the sketch show format is enlivened by the Kidnap sketch where two incompetent men grab the wrong person from No 6 instead of No 9 and each night a different guest star is revealed as the unfortunate prisoner and required to improvise most of the scene that follows. We saw Nigel Planer, from the Eighties TV series The Young Ones who responded well to both the lines he was fed and the audience reactions. The sketch includes a nod to a TV episode called Sardines.
However, most of the show plays on the meta-theatrical lampooning of current Theatrical experiences with a brilliant opening Sketch around the behaviour of audiences watching a play and then the second half focuses on a horror story that incorporates extensively the current trend of the overuse of video camera capture of action both on stage and around the Theatre. To say more would spoil the experience but there are some good jump shocks and ideas that seem borrowed from Mel Brooks’ Frankenstein and the psychological thriller by Anthony Horowitz, Mindgames . These provide the opportunity for John Bulleid’s wonderful illusions which bring a strong comic twist to the horror.
If in the course of the evening you catch sight of the Wyndhams’ own ghost, Belle Catron, known as Bloody Belle, who was accidently killed in 1921 in front of the audience , you will at least understand the context and inspiration of much of Pemberton and Shearsmith’s stage show and perhaps that glimpse will heighten the anticipation of the horror which makes the comedy so much more enjoyable. It is a show that would stand a second visit if only you could get a ticket, but the tour will at least provide that opportunity to see what other ghosts they can awaken.
Nick Wayne
Four stars
Fawlty Towers⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fawlty Towers twelve TV episodes produced in 1975 and 1979
have reached legendary comedy status almost immediately and are regularly acclaimed
as one of the greatest TV sitcoms of all time. Its Creator John Cleese has
always resisted further episodes of the series but finally in 2024 decided to translate
the show to the stage which has drawn both aficionado and those new to the
characters. It has defied soothsayers
that predicted it would not work and has become the hit comedy stage show of
the year regularly posting House full signs.
Much of the comedy comes from the recognition of the original
characters, famous lines and ludicrous situations contained in those twelve episodes,
now all sharply woven together into the two-hour play. Based mainly on four episodes
The Hotel Inspectors (episode 4), The Germans (episode 6) which contains the wonderful
business of the fire drill and the Moose's head, Mrs Richards (episode 7) and
the missing money and the Rat (episode 12)
which Manuel keeps as a pet.
The characters are lovingly recreated with Paul Nicholas a
masterful comic recreation of The Major, Rachel Izen a hilarious cantankerous Mrs
Richards and Kate Russell- Smith and Nicola Sanderson as the batty residents
Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby. The iconic four central characters are wonderfully reimagined
incorporating all the famous mannerism and voice inflexions. Anna-Jane Casey is
magnificent as Sybil with her irritating laugh and domineering style. Hemi
Yeroham creates the incompetent Manuel , the Spanish waiter abused by the Fawlty.
Victoria Fox, become the co-creator of the show Connie Booth as Polly. Of
course, the success revolves the physical presence of Adam Jackson-Smith as Basil,
and he very successfully recreates every nuanced movement and reaction of John
Cleese’s original creation.
The biggest laughs come from the catchphrases that the TV show
established for the characters. Manuel’s “I’m from Barcelona” and “I know mothing” , Sybil’s “I know” and Basil’s
classic lines “Don’t mention the war, I did once but I think I got away with it”
and “what did you expect to see from a Torquay hotel window, Sydney Opera house”.
It is no spoiler to remind readers that the best two lines are when a guest asks”
Is there anywhere they do French food” to which the reply is “Yes France , and
the swim will work up your appetite” which brilliantly sums up Fawlty’s
attitude to his guests. Or the classic line in the Germans about who started
the argument when Basil retorts “ you started it , you invaded Poland”. It is a
joy to hear these lines live and the audience reactions.
The composite set works well with the dividing wall from
reception and the Dining room removed (presumably by the builders from Episode
2!) but most of the famous features from the show are included with the front
door, kitchen door and bar passage visible, the stairs to one of the upstairs
rooms and of course the reception desk and office . The Apollo Dress Circle does
mean that the stage left seats can’t see some of the action in the dining room,
but you are warned when you book. In addition, there are no toilets to serve
the Dress Circle, so it is down to the basement if needed. These challenges of
an old Edwardian theatre built in 1901
might have elicited a response from Basil Fawlty , what do you expect if you
are only paying £65 for a West End show, and you can still hear all the lines! Or
from Sybil a simple “I know”. While Manual
would have responded “I know nothing”.
This is a wonderful comedy, full of nostalgia for a time when
TV sitcoms were brilliantly written ensemble pieces with top class comedy performers
and if you can get a ticket, I urge you to check in at the Fawlty Towers this
autumn.
Nick Wayne
Four stars
Stranger Things- The First Shadow⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stranger things was a TV series on Netflix, set in 1983
to 1986, which began its run in 2016 with a fifth series due to air in 2025 and
was a huge hit in the Netflix watching community. Judging by the enthusiastic audience
in the Phoenix Theatre for the stage version this skewed young, and they are
hooked on the science fiction story. It was adapted for a wonderful immersive experience
by Secret Cinema in 2019 where you could wander around the streets and homes of
Hawkins and follow your own path through the narrative. It was possible to enjoy
the experience even if you had not seen the TV show. For those are new to the franchise
the expensive £10 programme tries to give the context to the stage version. You can read about the
first four TV series, the genre of superhero
comic books, gothic horror stories, the Philadelphia Experiment, a little known
(in the UK) play called The Dark of the Moon which is performed in American
high schools and the effects of soldiers returning to America after the Second
world war. I am sure the fans lapped up this contextual background to the characters
they knew and loved but for those new to the characters it promises
something more than it delivers and
fails to help make sense of the narrative as it unfolds.
The show is set up as a prequel to the series in 1959 so we
meet the parents of the characters who inhabit the TV series in the Eighties. Just
to make sure we connect with this, the opening scenes in Hawkins introduce the
inhabitants in the town and kids at the High School in short cameo scenes which
I am sure the fans immediately connected with but for newbies meant nothing at
all and just seemed laboured. Coming after a spectacular opening prologue set
in 1943 on board the USS Eldridge in what was known as the Philadelphia Experiment
to make an object disappear, it seemed rather dull. Indeed, the promise of “storytelling
has never been seen like this before” never materialises in a positive way.
Created by the team who produced the amazing spectacle of
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child part 1 and part 2 with Jack Thorne’s script, Jamie Harrison
and Chris Fishers illusions, Gary Beestone as technical director and Producers
Sonia Friedman, Diane Benjamin and Pam Skinner you might have expected
something on the scale of spectacle of that show. However, only occasionally
does it truly impress and amaze. There are good effects like an exploding
mouse, cracking mirrors and flying characters but only one truly brilliantly done
stage effect as a character falls backwards from a gantry. What’s more there is
no real jump scare moments, no moments where you are left in wander at how it
was done and nothing to match Harry Potter’s Polyjuice or Transfiguration effects.
They rely too heavily on cinematic elements with projected drone footage and newspaper
cuttings to try and give some sense of time and location.
The young cast are left to tell the story largely on two
revolves and on a dark stage too often lit by a handheld torch. They compensate
by raising their voices, shouting and moving frantically but in the process with
American accents we lose diction and can’t catch what is being said. The fans
no doubt are better connected to the characters and can fill in the gaps and
spot the easter eggs. The uninitiated are left trying to piece together a narrative.
Henry Creel and his family has arrived at the town and new school. Following a
trip into Nevada desert he appears to have acquired superhuman powers which appear
to be largely destructive. He attracts the attention of Dr Brenner who appears
to be investigating the consequences of the Philadelphia Experiment and thinks
Creel holds the key. If he does, we don’t find out as this whole three hours
has merely set up a backstory to Series 4 of the TV show.
Maybe it is the restriction of the small venue/stage, perhaps
the script lacks the love of the genre that the Harry Potter production showed,
perhaps it was a lack of stage craft from the young cast, but the result is a
show that promises much but only delivers for hardcore fans. If you are new to
the title, it is unlikely to make you reach for a box set to find out more. If you
are a fan of seeing films transferred brilliantly to the stage, Back to the future
and Harry Potter and the Cursed child are much better examples of stage spectacle, and
where you will genuinely see “storytelling has never been seen like this before”
.
Nick Wayne
Three stars
The Motive and the Cue⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What makes a great production? Three elements: the play that has been written, the
directors’ careful guidance in the rehearsal room and the understanding of the
roles and skill of the actors in performance. For most of the time we don’t not
see the alchemy that takes place in the rehearsal room to bring the words to
the stage, but we can experience and often see it as we watch. Jack Thorne
explores the process and reveals the challenges and egos that is gone through
in this extraordinary play that works on some many levels.
Hamlet is one of the most performed plays in the World and
the 1964 Broadway production starring Richard Burton, directed by Sir John
Gielgud has been acclaimed as one of the many great productions for its vision
and the performance of Burton. The play follows the twenty-eight-day rehearsal
period in which Gielgud tries to assist Burton in finding “My Hamlet”. Sir John
is a theatrical great, having played all the Shakespearean leads to great
success as a relatively young man and now at sixty is worried that he is past
his peak. Burton is the Welsh firebrand famed for his drunken turbulent
lifestyle and great Screen performances and struggling to take direction and to
find his own Hamlet until he reveals his own family background and relationship
with his father.
_and_Johnny_Flynn_(Richard_Burton)_in_The_Motive_and_the_Cue_at_the_National_Theatre._Photo_by_Mark_Douet_50A0632.jpg)
Mark Gattis is superb as Sir John, with an outward air of
superiority, nose tilted upwards and word perfect on the Hamlet lines, he
recreates the great stage actor who I saw only once in the 1977 production
of Half Life. It is a masterly
performance also revealing his self-doubt and worries as he battles to direct
Burton. As he says to Burton, “Take what you want from my direction” and then
gives him the telling note, “you shout wonderfully” before another put down
with “you simply wanted my note so you could disagree with it”. ! Johnny Flynn
matches him punch for punch as the charismatic but flawed Burton grappling with
the meaning and intent of Shakespeare’s words. We see too his passionate and
all-consuming relationship with Elizabeth Taylor (Tuppence Middleton) his
flirty and successful wife who suggests she may have peaked early in National
Velvet at 12 and who I saw in Little Foxes in 1982. The writing reveals so much
about these famous actors and has the feel of an insightful documentary into
their personalities as well as a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of a
production. It takes to Day 21 of the rehearsals before Burton finds his
Hamlet.
This is a brilliant piece of writing that feels like it
based on solid research, beautifully directed by Sam Mendes, and superbly
played by the whole cast , this is one of the best productions I have seen in
the last 10 years.
Nick Wayne
Best West End Plays of 2023
Dear
England at National Theatre
The joy, frustration, and disappointment of
England men’s Football team over the last fifty years is a very familiar story
summed up in the classic football song “It’s coming home” which dominated the
summer of 1996 when England hosted the Euro Finals. One man has come to
epitomise this story over the last few years, and he is Gareth Southgate, the
current England Manager, who missed the vital penalty in the semi-final ending
the marvellous summer of football for England fans. When he was appointed
England manager, somewhat reluctantly at first, in 2016 he was given the chance
to redeem himself, restore pride in the team and put into practice the lessons
he learned after the miss. James Graham, the brilliant playwright takes this
theme and offers insight into the transformation of the team’s form under
Southgate leadership. Even though we know the outcomes of each tournament, the
play offers an interesting engaging behind the scenes glimpse of what he has
achieved.
Backstairs
Billy at Duke of York
For a generation or two , Elizabeth the Queen
Mother was an iconic figure, a revered and admired symbol of the British
monarchy and a heroine of the home front
in the Second World War blitz. Her long and wonderful life endeared her to
millions and yet she lived as a widow for nearly half her life, when King George
VI died in 1952 and her eldest daughter suddenly became Queen. This beautifully
written and funny play by Marcelo Dos Santos lift the veil a little on what she
was like behind the closed doors of Clarence House, where lived for all those
years and suggests she felt cut off from her two daughters with only the
company of Billy Tallon as her confidante.
Medea
at Soho Place
It
is a fascinating combination to see a very old play, Medea, based on the 431BC
Euripides Greek Tragedy performed in a very modern venue, the brand-new Soho
Place in London but it proved to be a powerful theatrical experience and a
perfect combination. The venue set up in the round provides an intimate
claustrophobic setting for the dramatic story of revenge, although thankfully
most of the bloody action takes place offstage. We, the audience, are the women
of Corinth looking into a bear pit as Medea does battle with the men in her
life, King Creon, her former husband Jason (of Argonauts fame) and the latest
man to fall under her spell the Athenian, Aegeus. The men never stand a chance
against the bewitching, mystical but savagely revengeful Medea who controls the
action from centre stage.
Crucible
at Gielgud Theatre
It
is a gripping tale contrasting the passionate and enthusiastic accusations from
the young girls led by Abigail Williams, an extraordinary theatrical debut from
Milly Alcock who orchestrates the girls’ behaviour and responses, with the good
men and women of Salem and the surrounding lands and the earnest but foolish
men responsible for investigating and dealing with the accusations. It is a
combination of the skill of Miller’s writing and the direction by Lyndsey
Turner that though we can see the truth in plain sight, we still can feel the
motivation and self-belief of each group and are swept along by the tension and
fear that drives the narrative.
Pillowman
at Duke of York
Martin
McDonagh has written some extraordinary plays usually based around an Irish
setting with dark comedy spoken by fascinating characters and gripping
unexpected plots. His 2003 play The Pillowman which first starred David Tennant
as Katurian is now revived by the wonderful Empire Street productions with Lily
Allen returning to the West End in the central role. You know what to expect
when you buy a ticket for one of his plays, a unique combination of brilliantly
funny lines and grotesquely violent interactions. It's not for the faint
hearted or those easily offended by the language or very unpleasant stories and
violence. In Steve Pemberton and Paul Kaye, the production has a master class
in a double act that turns from comical to horrific in a matter of lines and
there are plenty of big laughs and loud gasps.
Backstairs Billy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For a generation or two, Elizabeth the Queen Mother was an iconic
figure, a revered and admired symbol of the British monarchy and a heroine of the home front in the Second World
War blitz. Her long and wonderful life endeared her to millions and yet she lived
as a widow for nearly half her life, when King George VI died in 1952 and her eldest
daughter suddenly became Queen. This beautifully written and funny play by
Marcelo Dos Santos lift the veil a little on what she was like behind the closed
doors of Clarence House, where lived for all those years and suggests she felt
cut off from her two daughters.
Yet the play focuses on the titular character Willam Tallon
and his attitudes and flamboyant character who the Queen Mother trusted and
relied on for companionship and as a confidante. Luke Evans is utterly magnificent
in role from his very first appearance, we see him imposing his authority on
the staff in preparing the room for her entrance and inducting a new recruit
Gwydion (Iwan Davies) into the Royal Household. We immediately see his demeanour,
quick wit and underlying sexual preferences and he presents as an endearing character
who we immediately accept would be relied upon unquestioningly despite his mischievous
sense of fun.
Penelope Wilton looks every inch the Queen Mother although
she does not attempt to impersonate her voice and displays a wicked dry sense
of humour and desire to enliven her soirees which must have tested the more strait
laced of her household like her private secretary Mr Kerr (Ian Drysdale). She displays
a wonderful comic timing with some of cleverest executed pauses and reactions
you will see on a West End stage. The corgis also make delightful appearances, and
she boldly grapples with one for a pivotal speech which adds to the charm.
Stories abound about what “Billy” was like and the mischief
he got up to, risking damage to the Royal Household reputation and Dos Santos
paints a picture of a servant who laces drinks for his own (and one suspects
the Queen Mother’s) amusement and regularly invited unauthorised guests up the backstairs
into the Palace. There is lovely comic support from Emily Barber, Michael Simkins
and Nicola Sloane as three of these guests in each act which descend into
comical farce when Billy’s “own guest” joins a soiree and is introduced as an African
Prince (Eloka Ivo).
The play is set in 1979, with flashbacks to 1952 when we
meet young Billy (Ilan Galkoff) and reflects the language and attitudes towards
homosexuality and racism of the time which while it raises plenty of laughs,
also reminds us of how far society has changed over the last forty years. Of
course, the comparison with a recent media storm when a household lady in
waiting asked a guest “where have you come from” shows that there is remains a sensitivity
and concern over such language.
The whole production is stupendously set by Christopher Oram
in the Garden room of Clarence House and looks magnificent with chandelier, paintings
and flowers and a rug that only the family can stand on with a large grand entrance
and a central settee. You do wander whether she really would have taken her boiled
eggs for breakfast in that setting but it implies that this was a space where
she entertained and was entertained.
This is a triumph for Luke Evans as “Backstairs Billy”. Whatever
he got up to in his own life, he comes across as a loyal committed royalist who
the Queen Mother is utterly dependant on and as a nation, we should be grateful
that there are people who support those who have served us so well. Michael Grandage’s
delightful direction would surely have made both Billy and the Queen Mother
laugh.
Nick Wayne
King Lear Wyndhams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
William Shakespeare’s 1606 tragedy King Lear is one of his best
plays and perhaps one of the greatest works of British Theatre with its painful
examination of human nature, the place of individuals in the world and battle
between villainous jealous social climbers and loyal servants and family. It is
no wonder that some of the greats of British Theatre have played the central
role from Edmund Kean and Sir Henry Irving in the nineteenth century to Donald
Wolfit, Sir John Gielgud, and Sir
Laurence Olivier (on TV) in the twentieth century and Sir Ian McKellen in the
twenty first century and now Kenneth Branagh joins this illustrious list at the
Wyndhams for a limited season.
The challenge for Branagh, as I suspect for those great
names who have gone before, is that this huge central role which dominates the
production (with in its original form twice as many lines as the next biggest
characters) is it demands a powerful stage presence and intensity that means we
focus on them alone and because of his distinctive and recognisable countenance
we constantly see Branagh the actor saying the lines rather than being absorbed
into the character of Lear. However, I doubt if there is a better speaker of
Shakespeare’s lines on stage than Branagh and we hang on every beautifully
delivered line with his strong diction and enunciation. There is something
magical seeing a performer of this stature sat on the forestage of a
traditional proscenium theatre and it brings an intimacy and engagement
especially to the scenes of flattery from his daughters or his despairing edge
of madness later that is a joy to watch.
What of course is exciting about this production is that
every actor in the play was trained at RADA from where Branagh himself
graduated in 1981 and is now President and in my view remains one of the best
schools for teaching students how to deliver Shakespeare’s words. As a result,
they match him in the delivery of the lines with a wonderful clarity and some
very fine performances. Eleanor De Rohan (2017 graduate) is magnificent as the
loyal Kent (disguised as Casius) and Doug Colling (2018 graduate) is equally
compelling as Edgar, growing in stature as the narrative unfolds and finally
overcoming the delightfully scheming Edmund ( 2020 RADA graduate Corey
Mylchreest). The three daughters who divide the family are played by Deborah
Alli as Gonerill (2022 RADA graduate), Melanie-Joyce Bermudez and Jessica
Revell as Cordelia, doubling up as the fool too, (both 2023 RADA Graduates). Joseph
Kloska (a 2006 RADA graduate) as the tragic Gloucester shows his experience
with four seasons at RSC and now a RADA Associate teacher. Indeed, the entire
Ensemble provide excellent support to the leading characters.
The whole staging is impressive creating a sense of ancient
tribal rivalries in a neolithic setting under a watchful eye of the universe
above them. Though dressed as ancient Britain, the themes of family jealousies,
tribal feuds, and the tragic consequences of playing out of these tensions
resonates powerfully today as we hear daily news stories. The lighting by Paul
Keogan is brilliant with great use of spots from the wings illuminating
characters well and casting long shadows on the ancient stones around the stage
and powerful down light though the eye bringing a central focus. It creates
atmosphere and darkness while still clearly illuminating every speaker. The
projections designed by wonderful Nina Dunn add to spectacle with lovely
touches like birds flying overhead or watching faces around the action. The sound
designers Ben and Max Ringham with their trademark grumbling underscore add
immensely to the immersive experience. Then to complete the picture Aletta
Collins choreography and Bret Yount’s fight arranging provide dramatic visual
moments of conflict or tribal expression with clever use of wooden staffs.
Branagh directs and there is a breathless sense of urgency
as they speed headlong through the narrative with hardly a change of pace,
moving quickly from scene to scene in a rush to complete the tale in a two-hour
time frame with no interval. The result is more stripped back and less nuanced
that Sir Ian McKellen brilliant 2018 version but nevertheless the story telling
and quality of performances from a young diverse cast is exciting and Branagh’s
name alone sells the tickets. This is surely something he should make an annual
event to showcase the new RADA graduate talent and give them exposure and
experience on the West End stage as a natural progression in their development
as performers. Let’s hope he and the producers agree.
Nick Wayne
Spitting Image ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Eighties hit TV series, Spitting
Image, was a must watch show not just for its brilliant caricature latex puppets of the famous of the time but for its cutting wit and up to date wit and satire of current
news events that the clever impressionists spoke often with script
changes right up to the last minute of recording. It's original 30-minute
format made it a weekly dose of sharply observed quick fire parody that always delivered
brilliant moments.
It's revival as a format is overdue but it is bold to turn it into a 140-minute West End show and it's script does seem one dimensional and lacking in up to date topicality. However, it does have some moments which show what it might have been with wonderful rewritten lyrics to create clever set piece routines.
That not to say there is not much to admire about
this production. The puppets are magnificent ,
wonderfully manipulated by the puppeteers so you
instantly recognise the mannerisms and look of
the politicians and celebrities they feature, some forthe shortest single gag moment. Indeed, the
production values shine through too with some
wonderful stage props and furniture and projected
imaging to set the locations. The puppeteers small
costume adjustments like appropriate shoes add
to the caricatures and create a unifying look
to the puppeteer and their puppet.
What it needed was more topical references like recent news
items about Nigel Farage’s bank account, the barge in Portland, the latest wave of refugee
crossing
the channel, Trump's latest legal cases, Harry's visit to Japan, England Lionesses, or
Barbie to show us that the script was fresh and
refreshed each week . Instead, the rather extended plot of
Charles seeking to restore the fabric of society destroyed by Boris and Suellla feels over done and
laboured and the use of Tom Cruise to lead the
rescue a la Mission Impossible is another good joke stretched to breaking point although provides an
excuse for puppets of Greta Thunberg, Stormzy, Ru Paul, Angela Rayner and Tyson
Fury, all easy targets for parody.
The show highlights definitely all revolve around
the appearances of members of the Royal Family
with a brilliant Bohemian Rhapsody featuring
Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate and the late
Queen. Harry and Meghan as the outcast royals
watching from the box while plugging his book
Spare is also beautifully observed and played. The opening sequence with Charles and Paddington
bear is also a good twist on the original Jubilee
sketch .
There is no doubting the writers’ political views or
the intention to appeal to an adult audience who
recall the original show. The tone
and language is aggressive, crude and at times the comedy is puerile but hits
the right mark enough times to keep the audience smiling and engaged.
Tickets prices started at over £100 for a stalls seat but by the time we
purchased we had a great seat
In the stalls for just £30 and at that price it is a good value show . I
am not sure I would have felt the same if I had paid the original price !
Nick Wayne
Dear England ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The joy, frustration, and disappointment of
England men’s Football team over the last fifty years is a very familiar story
summed up in the classic football song “Its coming home” which dominated the
summer of 1996 when England hosted the Euro Finals. One man has come to
epitomise this story over the last few years, and he is Gareth Southgate, the
current England Manager, who missed the vital penalty in the semi-final ending
the marvellous summer of football for England fans. When he was appointed
England manager, somewhat reluctantly at first, in 2016 he was given the chance
to redeem himself, restore pride in the team and put into practice the lessons
he learned after the miss. James Graham, the brilliant playwright around modern
historical events such as the hung parliament of 1974, Rupert Murdoch newspaper
revolution of 1970’s ,the coughing major TV fraud of 2001 or the miners strike
of 1984, takes this theme and offers
insight into the transformation of the team’s form under Southgate leadership.
Even though we know the outcomes of each tournament, the play offers an
interesting engaging behind the scenes glimpse of what he has achieved.
Sensibly they do not attempt to recreate
football scenes on stage but use a combination of projection, graphics , mime,
and dance to show the tension of such moments and the way in which the players
and back-room staff interact to deal with the consequences, and the heroes and
villains that emerge. The writing is witty and authentic, the characters
recognisable, parodied just enough to be funny without being cruel, and the
story telling compelling and progressive. It is told as if in three Acts. Act 1
Qualifications for Russian World cup, Act 2 Euro 2020 in England and Act 3
Qatar World cup. It reflects the count down clock set up in St George’s park
coaching room some years before Southgate’s appointment which targeted winning
the 2022 World cup as the outcome for increased investment in every aspect of
the coaching infrastructure.
Southgate is wonderfully played by Joseph
Fiennes capturing his mannerisms , speech patterns and his sensible calm words
that the public are so familiar with from each press conference, in contrast
with his predecessors, Taylor, Eriksson, Capello and Allardyce who are
merciless parodied in their short cameo instantly recognisable appearances. He
comes across as charming, clear, sensible, and caring (as indeed he is, for
those of us who have met him, as I have), a man with a vision who breaks the
mould of traditional old school football managers. His decisions which we have
seen from the outside through the media are explained , seem logical and appear
to make a difference. Dropping Wayne Rooney , appointing Pippa Grange, a
psychologist( a strong and compelling performance from Gina McKee), practising
penalties from a technical and mental approach and making Harry Kane (Will
Close) his captain. It is fascinating to see the team bonding from a divided by
club loyalty squad to a unified supportive team and the emergence of Kane from
hesitant incoherent striker into inspirational leader .
The focus is on penalties from Southgate miss
in 1996 , the 2018 success against Colombia ( Kane, Rashford , Henderson
Tripper and Dier) to Rashford, Saka and Sancho’s horrendously abused misses in
2021 and Kane’s sympathetically received miss in 2022 and the effort that went
into the preparation between these tournaments. It is fascinating as a football
fan to relive the tension and frustration of those moments and it is the
memories that adds to the drama rather than the outcomes. I would not have
believed that you could be captivated by these recreations without a ball or
opposition players but somehow this production does just that. My only gripe is
in nearly every football scene there were only ten players not the first team
starting eleven which seems such a curious choice.
Along the way Graham has fun sending up the FA
and political leaders of the period with Greg Clarke and Greg Dyke, successive
FA chairmen (portrayed humorously by John Hodgkinson and Tony Turner
respectively) and successive Prime Ministers being sent on for a one-line gag.
Gary Lineker (Gunnar Cauthery) gets a more gentle treatment, but Matt Le
Tissier (John Hodgkinson) gets a full broadside for his anti-woke views.
Curiously the old men in FA blazers escape even a withering reference when they
are such an obvious target.
Southgate says early on in his tenure that he
wants to “get people smiling again” and the play shows how he did this in
football terms while delivering completely on stage. He may still have some
public detractors who malign his tactics and team selection, but James Graham
clearly likes the man and what he has achieved, casts him in a very favourable
light , making him a charming modest folk hero and as a football and a theatre
lover I am definitely with him on that.
Surely deserves a West End transfer or perhaps
to play new venues such as Wembley. Old Trafford or St Georges Park to give it
even more relevance and authenticity and let hope it has a final act in 2024
with England winning the tournament!
Nick
Wayne
Four stars
Shirley Valentine ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Producer David Pugh recently tweeted out that it was not him
charging £180 a seat to see Sheridan Smith in Shirley Valentine at the Duke of
York Theatre in London but the venue owner the Ambassador Theatre Group. He
does however charge £95 for a seat at end of row E in that stalls with a “restricted
view” which meant when Miss Smith was cooking egg and chips for her fella in Act
1 you could not see her and that the “rock” she talks to in Act 2 is only partially
visible. You would think in a one-person monologue show on a large stage the
director could block the show so you could always see the star from seats at
these prices! Equally whether it is Pugh or ATG that sets the price , the £6
for a wafer-thin programme with no content except lists of peoples and adverts
is equally outrageous. It is justified of
course by the sold-out signs outside the theatre, so no doubt has been a money
spinner for both Pugh and ATG. But the real test of success is whether Miss
Smith is any good in the role and the audience response to her.
You knew as soon as you took your seats and looked around
the auditorium at all the women of a certain age sat in their seats with a glass , or even a bottle
of ATG wine in their hand that they had come for a laugh and perhaps to reflect
on the escapism and fantasy that the play presents from their everyday domestic
life , just as Shirley dreams of. There was therefore a perfect combination of
an audience gagging to be entertained and an actress revelling in being the centre
of attention and loving generating the laughs that followed. It was fun, frivolous,
and slightly dated and nothing like the extraordinary power of Jodie Comer in
her recent one woman play Prima Facie, but you warm instantly to Sheridan Smith’s
bubbly charming Liverpudlian character and get swept along by constant fidgety
stage business, her smile and comic timing.
The fourth wall is not so much broken and swept aside from
the moment she appears, grinning and swigging wine on a very practical and detailed
Kitchen set. Every door gets opened, the tap run , the bins emptied, and the cooker
used to fry reinforcing this 1980’s woman trapped in the routine of married
tedium like a caged animal prowling her space. Willy Russell’s play is wittily
written with plenty of laughs and good lines. We don’t see her children,
neighbour, old friend , husband or the Greek taverna owner but we feel their presence
through her words as she describes their relationships and encounters. It is an imbalanced show with a long Act 1 of
80 minutes and a shorter second act of 40 minutes and perhaps there could be
more contrast between her trapped desperate housewife in the first and born-again
free woman in act 2.
Throughout it is simply a joy watching Sheridan Smith work, more
a stand-up comic in a domestic setting than an actress in a role but she charms
us throughout with her engaging smile, giggly personality and delightfully
judged looks and pauses. She is overflowing with nervous energy and copes not
only with all the lines but the constant stage business that director Matthew
Dunster and the script call for. We love her and the standing ovation seems a
natural thank you for her efforts at entertaining us. She is a box office hit
building on her reputation from Legally Blonde, Hedda Gabler , Midsummer night’s
dream in the West End and of course Cilla on TV and we left once again charmed
and looking forward to seeing what she does next.
Was it worth the £95 ticket price ? it does not matter ; it
was sold out and you could not get another ticket if you wanted one and that is
what we need if Theatre is going to thrive.
Nick Wayne
3 stars.
A Streetcar named Desire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The West End in 2023 may well be remembered for the year
when Theatre seat prices went through the roof and Producers had to hype their
shows to justify the very high-priced best seats. It is a worrying trend but if
they can sell the seats then it will surely continue making Theatre less accessible
or encouraging audiences to book later in the hope of discounts to shift the
seats left. The older audiences will be more selective, and the younger audiences
will only buy in the last 24 hours. One of the most overhyped shows so far is
the Almeida’s A Streetcar named Desire which completes its run at the Phoenix
Theatre on 6th May and started its run by announcing being sold out,
yet every night in the last week dozens of the £200 seats have been discounted
down to a more reasonable £85 on the day of performance. The question for those
who went is, was it good enough to justify the higher prices and all the hype?
Tennessee Williams' Streetcar named Desire is set in New
Orleans post the Second World War and we are introduced to the tragic direction
that Blanche Dubois's life has taken by her opening speech as she arrives at
the Kowalskis' home and says she rode a streetcar named Desire, then
transferred at Cemeteries, which brought her to a street in Elysian Fields. This
sets the tone and location of this classic play and the shadows of the
acclaimed original productions that featured Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Karl
Malden and Vivian Leigh, or more recent ones featuring Alec Baldwin, Jessica
Lange, Rachel Weisz, and Gillian Anderson hang over any new version.
Rebecca Frecknell’s new version follows another recent
directorial trend with a stripped back set, cast on stage throughout watching,
rain to emphasis the most dramatic moments and a visible drummer to add
tension. It is all very stylised and affected and, in my mind, detracts rather than
enhances the central performances. Should I be concerned that Blanche puts a
dry dress on over her soaked underwear or that visible hands pass them props
through the invisible walls of the New Orleans home?
It does to an extent focus on the central characters lead by
the wonderful Patsy Ferran who I first saw in several RADA performances during
her training and has since gone on to give many remarkable performances on the
West End stage (Summer and Smoke, Speech and Debate, Treasure Island and Blythe
Spirit). She may not yet be a household name, but she is destined to be one of
the most remarkable actresses of her generation. She perfectly captures Blanche’s
sensual vulnerability, desperation for approval and friendship, and ultimately
her tragic path to self-destruction of her relationships and failing mental
stability. She never earns our sympathy, but we are shocked and moved by her
ultimate fate as Blanche's tragic life lies are exposed and her mental
breakdown envelopes the whole cast. She has a unique physicality and expressive
face that means you can’t take your eyes off her as she trembles, flirts, and dominates
the scenes despite her petit frame.
Anjana Vasan as her sister Stella is torn by her love for her abusive husband
and her concern for her sister and she captures first the irritation of her
sister’s arrival and then frustration over her behaviour and final a caring
despair over her fate. It is a quietly strong performance like she is a referee
in a boxing match between two people that she cares for despite their faults.
Paul Mescal (famed for his performances in the TV series Normal
People) is Stanley, the former army engineer criticised for his animal, subhuman
habits which he displays throughout in his unpleasant self-centred treatment of
the other characters. He torments Blanche and exposes her lies but his displays
of raw power and alpha male domination create a nasty presence, so that his
success leaves a bad taste in the 21st century world where mental health
issues and bullying is such a dominant concern.
In sharp contrast is Mitch played by Dwane Walcott, a quiet
polite gentle former army engineer, who falls under Blanche's spell for a while,
and we perhaps have the most sympathy for this character as first falls for her
and then rejects her based on Stanley’s exposure of her past.
Madeleine Girling’s set presents the two room New Orleans
home as an empty boxing ring as the characters step in and out through the
corners for each round of the fights. There are no furniture to set the scenes
or which room we are in, so the cast freely move around the ring like boxers eyeing
each other up. The exquisite lighting design by Lee Curran is left to create highlights
with the array of moving lights above the ring picking out beautifully cast members
at key moments. I wonder whether the staging has lost some intimacy since its move
from the Almeida to the proscenium arch Phoenix theatre.
Frecknall has created an updated version of this classic play which would
appeal to a younger audience without preconceptions of previous versions and
hammers home the message about communities’ complicity in violence towards
women and an outdated approach to mental health. It works because the three central
characters are powerfully and skilfully played by young cast especially the mesmerising
Ferran.
Was it worth the £85 I paid on the day to see? I guess
so but the play feels dated and was not compelling enough to justify the £200
asking price and I hope Producers will find a satisfactory way to keep theatre accessible
while still paying the cast and crew a proper wage and making a fair return on
the risk of capitalisation of their shows. This balance is essential to ensure
Live theatre, especially plays, thrive in the years to come.
Nick Wayne
Witness for the Prosecution ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Witness for the Prosecution opened at the London County
Hall Council Chamber on 6th October 2017 to great acclaim and it has
taken me a long tome to catch up with the wonderful production. Taking my place
in seat 7 of the Jury, the awesome setting immediately transported us to the
Old Bailey courtroom as we were sworn in by the Stenographer. In this seat not
only are we lit in view of the rest of the audience but often the cast directly
address us as they would in a court. It’s a brilliantly immersive experience as
you feel the weight of your part in deciding the outcome of this capital
punishment crime of murder. The opening scene of the defendant imagining the hangman’s
drop leaves you in no doubt of the consequence of the decision ahead!
Leonard Vole (Joshua Glenister) seems a thoroughly simple
chap besotted with his wife Romaine (Lauren O’Neil) and kindly helping an old lady
he has recently met. He protests his innocence with a passion as he tries to convince
you he has been framed by circumstantial evidence. We hear the testimony of the
loyal housekeeper Mrs McKenzie (Mandi Symonds) who would have benefited from a
previous will, of the forensic expert Miss Clegg (Vicki Davids) and of course from
his wife . We are led by the nose to doubt their evidence. The Detective Hearne
(Matt Weyland) sticks to the facts with a hint of bias and Dr Wyatt (Simon Butteriss)
is presented as an eccentric specialist.
The defence Barrister Wilfred Robarts (Owen
Oakeshott) and the solicitor Mr Mayhew (Peter Landi) are magnificent “holding
court” and guiding us through the in court and out of court discussions with
great clarity and robustness of thought. The Prosecution Barrister , Mr Myers
(Richard Teverson) seems to find his every point undermined. In the second act
the tension rises, and the twists and turns are unexpected but still believable
as the case thunders along to a conclusion and we the jurors are asked to pass our verdict.
What really happened on that October
night between 9.25 pm and 10.10 pm at the old lady’s house? Who should we believe?
To find out you simply have to go and see this production and for once the
premium priced seats in the jury box (with 2 free drinks, a programme, and a notebook)
are definitely worth the price! It is simply brilliant theatre.
Nick Wayne
Five stars
Jerusalem ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Having missed Jez
Butterworth’s wonderful play Jerusalem in its 2009 West End run but seen a
stunning five-star version of it at the Watermill Newbury in 2018, it was with
great excitement and anticipation that I happily paid a very Premium Price to
see Mark Rylance’s return to the West End as Rooster Byron in Jerusalem. Having
seen magnificent stage performances in La Bete and Farinelli and the King and
read
the rave reviews I expected to be blown away by three hours of theatrical
gold dust. Sadly, though I was hooked for the first Act I drifted away after a
long day in the second and by the end was just waiting for it to finish.
It remains a very
good play with some brilliant lines and hilarious characters and is beautifully
set amongst the trees and grass of an isolated rural village being expanded by
a new estate. As one character says, the villagers don’t go “east of Wootton
Basset” and these waif and strays seem to be drawn to the “honeypot” of Byron’s
caravan which has been in Rooster’s wood for years until the Council want him evicted.
Mark Rylance appears
to revel in the character he created as
he struts and preens himself centre stage. A cross between the drunken
philanderer Falstaff, the Pied Piper leading the village youths astray and
Fagin , a loveable rogue trading off other weaknesses. But there are also hints
of Henry V at Agincourt, St George protecting a threatened maiden and King
Arthur telling tales of past glories at his round table. He holds the audience
attention in his glorious fantastical story telling of Summers of Love, Babies born with bullets in their mouths, daredevil
stunts, Spice Girl’s fantasy and Giants who built Stonehenge, yet he touches
them too in his relationship with the young Marky and his mother Dawn (Indra
Ove).
We meet his
disciples, followers and customers, a curious mixture of degenerates and
oddballs. Ginger (wonderfully played by
Mackenzie Crook) is older and has remained loyal to Rooster for a generation
and has the measure of the man. The Professor (Alan David) too is of an older
generation who seems to have stumbled bewildered into the group but keeps
returning for more! Another occasional visitor is Wesley, Gerard Horan, the
local landlord who finally is forced to ban Rooster after a fracas but seems to
secretly yearn for his freedom and occasional supply of drugs. Dressed as a Morris
dancer we see his humiliation and despair. The young villagers easily develop
individual characterisations but provide ensemble mocking support to Johnny
Byron
As the six
o’clock deadline imposed by the F99 eviction notice approaches, the threat
level mounts, and Troy Whitworth (Barry Sloane) adds dark revengeful tension
that changes the mood and undermines Johnny’s resistance. His fifteen-year-old daughter Phaedra, (Eleanor
Worthington-Cox) who seems to be trying to hide from her father’s influence
opens the show singing the hymn Jerusalem the words of which “And was
Jerusalem builded here Among these dark Satanic Mills?” seem to infer we should
side with the rural traveller rather than the NIMBYism of authorities and
residents .
This is not a show for those easily offended by the language
and it always surprises me that the use of F and C swear words gets such easy
laughs and there are some odd passages like the overlong game of the Genus
edition trivia questions. Ian Rickson as director has allowed Rylance too much
scope to overindulge himself in character as if he knows how good an actor he
is and how lucky we are to be seeing him again on stage in this production. As
a result, when he gets his justified comeuppance, I did not care as I had done
with Jasper Britten’s performance at the Watermill and the final horrifying
scenes loses some of its impact. However, it won’t stop me wanting to see what
he does next!
Nick Wayne
Three stars.
Prima Facie ****
Post
Pandemic audiences have returned to theatre seeking uplift and distraction from
the global woes, so it is a bold move by Empire Street Productions to stage a
new straight play in the West End with a powerful heartfelt message for
something to change in the legal system dealing with sexual assault cases. The
statistics show over 170,000 recorded sexual assaults in the year to September
2021( an increase of 12% over the preceding year) and 37% of these were rapes.
The programme highlights the long tortuous delay between filing an accusation
and the case being heard in court. It also challenges the audience as they take
their seats looking into the neatly ordered chambers of a sexual assault
defence barrister to consider their own unconscious bias about sexual offences,
the victims and the perpetrators and the meaning of consent. How would we act
if selected for jury duty on such a case? This reflection that the programme
prompts summarises not just the context but the narrative of the play. So, it
requires a tour de force performance and some smart and slick direction to
bring the arguments , so clearly set out in HHJ Angela Rafferty’s article, to
life on the stage. Jodie Cromer duly delivers in a remarkable gripping one
hundred-minute one woman performance which marks her West End Debut.
This
is a legal game of two halves. In the first section she explores how she became
a defence barrister in sexual assault cases, prides herself on never “coming
second” (losing a case) and revels in the role of challenging and exposing the
inconsistencies and gaps in the prosecution case. It’s a brilliant engaging
performance , energetically prowling around the stage, setting the scenes, and
grabbing the audience’s attention with glaring eyes and pointing fingers. She
is at the top of her game, funny, witty, sexy, provocative and in control.
There are tiny insights into her Liverpudlian background and some self-doubt
which she has to overcome to succeed , culminating in a quick sexual encounter
with Julian on the sofa of his chambers establishing that rape does not have to
be between strangers in a first encounter.
In
the second half the tables are turned as the difficulties and horrors of being
a victim of sexual assault are brutally and painstakingly exposed as she suffers
a drunken rape in her own flat and the indignities and prolonged suffering of
the consequences of the case. It a fascinating and dramatic moment when she
elicits her last laugh from the audience as she retches into a toilet before a
deathly silence stillness fills the auditorium as she starts to describe the
physical assault that followed immediately. There is less variation in the
monologue thereafter as she lays out the feelings, confusion, and frustration
of the legal process but the power of the message forces your attention. Suzie
Miller’s script feels insightful and informed but despite the clarity of the
words the final provocative and emotive rhetoric hammer home the message
without the eloquence and subtlety of the early writing in a straightforward
plea for change.
There
are clever touches in the production (directed by Justin Martin) to support
Cromer’s stupendous efforts. She changes costumes to reflect her status and
state of mind. The rain effect signals the transition from strong defence barrister
to exposed, vulnerable and frightened victim. The barrister’s case files of Miriam Buether’s scene setting
staging are flown away to reveal a dark
empty space filled with close up video of her evidence and a clock counting the
days until the case comes to court. When the case files return, they are
artfully picked out by spotlights reflecting those of the 170,000 cases that
made it to court in the process we have seen. The underscore by Ben and Max
Ringham adds drama to the changing scenes.
This
is a sold-out production which runs to 18
th June and is sure to
accumulate awards in the next round for Jodie Cromer and the production . It
establishes her as brilliant stage actress who we must hope to see more often
on a West End stage . It exposes the challenges and problems with the legal
system of dealing with the deeply troubling and emotive cases where it is one
word against another and its powerful closing plea for change must surely be
heard. When theatre engages the mind and emotions like this it truly is doing
its job.
West End Pick of 2019
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Writer Jack Thorne and Director John Tiffany have taken JK
Rowling’s original stories as a springboard background to tell a story about
Father Son relationships. They have created a theatrical style that feels fresh
and new, a two-part play (that must be seen together in sequence). It is a
combination of spectacular magical illusion show, choreographed dance sequences
and narrative description between characters. What makes the show special is
the extraordinary number of special effects which recreate the magical world in
front of our eyes without the aid of cameras and CGI.
The Son
Writer Florian Zeller, and his regular translator
Christopher Hampton, have become a modern-day powerhouse amongst playwrights
and have taken a modern theme, mental health amongst teenagers and produced an
utterly brilliant new play “The Son”. Laurie Kynaston is the seventeen-year-old
Nicholas struggling to cope with the breakup of his parent’s marriage and torn
between them as to where best to live. It is wonderfully nuanced performance as
his parents cajole him to explain himself and dismiss his attitude as “Ever
seen a teenager radiate happiness?”
Come from Away
When Come from away arrived in the West End in a wave of
promotional hysteria in early 2019 after its US success in 2015/16 I assumed it
was just another marketing led opening but this joyous celebration of human
nature in adversity deserves every bit of its praise. Based on the real-life
stories gathered in Gander during the 10th anniversary commemoration of the
tragic events of 9/11, the authors have created a fast paced, fun, moving tale
in tribute to the response of the Newfoundlanders to finding 38 planes and 7000
people diverted to their airport.
Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman which was written in 1949 is one of the
finest plays of the 20
th century and the best play Arthur Miller
wrote. Wendell Pierce plays Willy as a desperate lost soul with bursts of
anger, still dreaming that he is a great salesman loved by his customers and
burdening his son Biff (Sope Dirisu) with expectations. It is a powerful and
dominant performance. Opposite him is the amazing Sharon D Clarke as his
patient loyal supportive wife Linda. This quietly understated and nuanced
performance is at the heart of this production. She passively accepts his
failures, but we sense she knows the truth.
Touching the void
Stories of epic human endeavour in life or death situations
have the potential to make gripping touching drama in books, on film or on
stage. So, the idea of retelling the tale of a climber’s desperate attempts to
survive on a remote mountain in the Andes with a minimum of supplies has the
ingredients for success. There are plenty of very creative and imaginative
ideas from Director Tom Morris and designer Ti Green to bring the tale to life
on stage. The brilliance of the acting, the uplifting feeling of human survival
against the odds and the creative and inventiveness of the staging makes this
worth seeing.
Reviews of 2019
Taste of Honey ***
Shelagh Delaney's first play A Taste of Honey, written in
1958 is seen historically as a theatrical game changer. Having left school at fifteen
she wrote this bleak shocking play set in her local community of Salford
shortly after the Manchester United Munich air disaster and at a time when most
of the acclaimed playwrights were men. Picked up and staged by the phenomenal
Joan Littlewood at Stratford East it must have ruffled the feathers of the
Theatre and
media elite of the time with its depiction of poverty, unmarried
mothers, mixed race relationships and gay friends. It's ground-breaking
language and story lead the way for female authors to break through the system.
Sixty years on however the content is no longer shocking and the play feels an
anachronistic time piece of historical interest only for its context. However,
this production does sizzle at times due to the fine acting of the two central
female characters.
Jodie Prenger plays the blousy, hard drinking mother who
is desperate for male company but who seems to care little for her daughter
Jo.
We meet her singing in a bar to a
Jazz trio and then moving yet again into a dingy barely habitable bed sit where
mother and daughter must share the bed. Prenger struts around the stage seeking
our attention and ignoring the debris and chaos of her life. It is a very fine
performance and we miss her when she deserts her daughter for her new man
Peter, Tom Varey.
She is matched by Gemma Dobson as the daughter Jo on the
point of leaving school at the earliest opportunity but with no clear idea or
desire for work. She seeks the company and affection she needs which her mother
fails to provide. We see her develop from truculent teenager to insecure
expectant mother over the course of the year the play covers and it is a
quietly commanding performance that captures her isolation and desperation.
She finds love first with a young black sailor Jimmie,
played by Durone Stokes but when he disappears, it is her gay friend
Geoffrey, a very well-judged portrayal by Stuart Thompson who shares her life
and flat. He opens act 2 with a very good scene setting song of "Mad about
the boy".
Director Bijan Sheibani and designer Hildegard Bechtler
must have had a very clear vision about how they wanted to celebrate this
landmark anniversary of the play, but it felt like it got lost in translation
to the stage. The three-piece band are on stage throughout occasionally
underpinning a line or phrase, but it is somewhat distracting to see bassist
Alex Davis standing upstage without playing for much of the second act. The
portrayal of the main setting, the interior of the Salford flat near the
abattoir and gasworks, is meta theatre with no sense of reality. Characters
enter from different directions at different times into this tiny flat for no
obvious reason and the large window is set on a revolve that blocks sight lines
to the kitchen area. Scene and costume changes are orchestrated by additional costumed
cast members. If there was ever a play that called for a claustrophobic kitchen
sink drama box set this is surely it, but they have deliberately avoided it and
it detracts from the words and relationships.
It is a famous title which I had never seen before, but I
felt the production failed to give the show a modern relevance and the staging
distracted from the words and from the fine performances of Jodie Prenger and
Gemma Dobson.But if you have never seen the play it is worth going to see this cast.
Nick Wayne
Three stars
Touching the Void⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stories of epic human endeavour in life or death situations
have the potential to make gripping touching drams in books, on film or on
stage. So, the idea of retelling the tale of a climber’s desperate attempts to
survive on a remote mountain in the Andes with a minimum of supplies has the ingredients
for success. But is it enough to sustain two and half hours of theatre in a large
West End proscenium arch theatre? The answer is nearly but not quite. The result
feels like an overextended Fringe show that needed some dramatic restaging to engage
the audience sat in the front rows of the stalls.
There are plenty of very creative and imaginative ideas from
Director Tom Morris and designer Ti Green to bring the tale to life on stage
especially in the excellent first half which works so well. The pub furniture
of the Clachay Inn in Scotland becomes the rock faces and terrain of the mountain
range and a peanut as a climber puts the scene in dramatic context and scale.
When the climbers start their ascent to the top of the mountain an artistically
designed metal frame covered in white paper effectively shows the effort and
risks of a rock face traverse and brilliantly shows how they carve a snow hole
for shelter overnight. But the ideas run out in the second half as one climber
spends much of the time on prone of the stage floor in the half light which is
very hard to view and engage with from then stalls.
The dream sequences that keep him going are in good contrast
with a strong music underscore, humour and some exposition on the nature of
Alpine style mountaineering and the motivation of climbers. Movement Director
Sasha MIlavic Davies creates a brilliant evocative sequence of dance on how
they climb with pickaxes.
The cast of four work hard in an intensely physical performance
climbing the proscenium arch and dangling off the flying structures and are
faultless. We see the strong bond between Joe (Josh Williams) and his sister
Sarah that keeps him trying to survive. The harsh conditions Joe and Simon face
as they climb together is coldly and heartbreakingly explained and acted. Fiona
Hampton is excellent as Sarah, the imagined voice in Joe’s head guiding us
through his ordeal as she learns about climbing and the challenges faced. Simon
is played by Angus Yellowlees and he captures the cold emotions required for
survival. Patrick McNamee is Richard the nerdy ever cheerful third member of
the expedition who provides observations and asides on the story and is the
voice of the story adapter David Greig.
The outcome of the story is not in doubt and it is no plot spoiler
to say that the Climber Joe Simpson survived to write the book on which the play
is based, and which has already been made into a documentary film. The play
challenges the audience to think “what would I do” if faced with the same difficult
choices?
The brilliance of the acting , the uplifting feeling of human
survival against the odds and the creative and inventiveness of the staging
makes this worth seeing in a four star first half but if only they had made it
a ninety minute without an interval show or if two hours invested in a raked
cliff face for his final scramble down the mountain , it would have sustained
its engagement and brilliance until the end.
Nick Wayne
Three stars.
Death of a salesman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Death of a Salesman which was written in 1949 is one of the finest
plays of the 20th century and the best play Arthur Miller wrote being
published between All my Sons and The Crucible establishing him as a brilliant American
playwright. The 1979 NT production which starred Warren Mitchell as the tragically
broken salesman has remained one of my top ten productions of all time ever
since. So, it was with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation that I ventured
along to the Piccadilly to see the Young Vic transfer. I was not disappointed
with this fresh restaging and some poignant and touching central performances.
This is a play about the failure of the American Dream and a
fami
ly haunted by a man’s failure to live up to his ambition and dreams and his
older brother’s success. He has been on the road every day of his life and at
63 just as he finally pays off the mortgage of his house he feels suffocated by
financial pressures and the lack of income as a failing salesman. He laments “for
once in my life I would like to own something outright before its broke”.
Designer Anna Fleischle creates a surreal ethereal world
where memories seem to hang over the Loman family and we move seamlessly from
the real world into imagination and memory with snap changes of lights (lighting
design by Aideen Malone) and smooth transitions of furnishings. Colours are muted and she deliberately
eschews the realism of the NT staging all those years ago. Deep upstage is a stairway
to the upstairs of the Loman house putting distance between him and his family.
Curiously the effect of this staging is it feels less claustrophobic and Loman
feels less hemmed in by the apartments that have built up around him than his
words suggest.
Wendell Pierce plays Willy as a desperate lost soul with
bursts of anger, still dreaming that he is a great salesman loved by his customers
and burdening his son Biff (Sope Dirisu) with expectations and trying to put out
of his mind the past event that came between them. It is a powerful and
dominant performance perhaps too so and as a result the pathos and gradual decline
into breakdown and despair is suppressed.
Opposite him is the amazing Sharon D Clarke as his patient
loyal supportive wife Linda. This quietly understated and nuanced performance is
at the heart of this production. She passively accepts his failures, but we
sense she knows the truth and urges her sons to be more supportive. Her fine
voice gently underpins the show with the melancholy gospel song “When the trumpet
sounds”.
There is an excellent supporting cast with Natey Jones as
the happy go lucky philandering son who Willy largely ignores , Trevor Cooper
as the loyal and caring neighbour Charley , Joseph Mydell as the mystic Uncle
Ben and Ian Bonar as the Charley’s nerdy son Bernard who makes good with his
life.
Directors Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell use the
space well and breath fresh life, context and relevance into the play through
the casting and music that makes all four of the central characters, Willy and
Linda and their two sons, equally engaging and interesting. Unlike the NT production
where the sympathy lies solely with Willy, here we are touched by all four and like
Charley desperately want to help them get on the right track as a family rather
than self-destruct.
Brilliant theatre
Nick Wayne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The National Theatre as an Arts Council National
Portfolio Organisation has substantial financial support and in the production
at the Lyttleton Theatre of Rutherford and Son you can see those resources
deployed in the staging in a way few commercial operators could justify. As
rain falls across the proscenium arch as the audience take their seats a trio
of three girls sing a cappella northern folk songs. As the rain stops, the huge
detailed set of the Rutherford home eases forward across the fore stage. It
sets the scene, but the lavishness of the opening sets up an expectation of
something brilliant that does get fully met.
Roger Allam is magnificent as Rutherford, the tyrannical
unfeeling head of the family struggling with rising losses at his glass factory
a short walk from his home. It is easy to see the truth in the accusation that
there is "not a scrap of love in the whole house". He dominates the
stage and fully embodies the northern patriarch but when his family rebel
against his wishes you feel sympathy for him as his likeable persona still
breaks through despite the attitudes the character is called on to present. He
does not rage but speaks with authority and conviction that brushes aside
resistance to his will.
His three children have all been impacted by his
attitudes during their upbringing. Janet, his daughter played by Justine
Mitchell, is treated almost as a servant and often stands silently observing
the rest of the family until her affair with one of her father's employees
pushes her to speak out and rebel. Richard, played by Harry Hepple, has already
disappointed his father by rejecting offers of work to join the clergy: as his
father's says, " He might as well not have been born". The third son,
John (an anxious Sam Troughton) is the natural successor to his father but has
already caused friction by marrying a southern girl Mary (a delightfully
understated performance from Anjana Vadan) and wants to earn credit and reward
from his father for the "recipe" he has invented .
It is the trusted employee of 25 years, Martin (Joe Armstrong)
who ultimately explodes this unstable family situation when his relationship
with Janet is revealed and he then discloses John's recipe under pressure from
Rutherford. Within hours the house is deserted save for Mary and Aunt Ann (Barbara
Martin) and the sense of isolation is physically portrayed as the set revolves
and slides backstage and the rain again falls on the fore stage. But the acting
has not created that same sense of inevitability in the family destroying tension
that drives them apart.
Githa Sowerby 1912 three Act play appeared to have been
cut to fit it to a modern audiences’ attention span; some of the narrative
seemed to skip explanations and move too quickly. Polly Findlay's direction was
competent but unadventurous and I failed to see the supposed feminist themes to
the story or see why the story deserved a revival except because it was an
Edwardian play written by a woman. It is a piece of its time when in the
northern culture the man earned the money that kept the family alive and the women
kept the house.
The performance of Roger Allam alone makes this a
production worth seeing but I don't think it is the sort of play an NPO should
be investing such excess resources in and a revival on a smaller scale in the
Dorfman might have been more effective where the claustrophobia of living together
would have been more palpable.
Nick Wayne
_and_Johnny_Flynn_(Richard_Burton)_in_The_Motive_and_the_Cue_at_the_National_Theatre._Photo_by_Mark_Douet_50A0632.jpg)
There are plenty of very creative and imaginative ideas from
Director Tom Morris and designer Ti Green to bring the tale to life on stage
especially in the excellent first half which works so well. The pub furniture
of the Clachay Inn in Scotland becomes the rock faces and terrain of the mountain
range and a peanut as a climber puts the scene in dramatic context and scale.
When the climbers start their ascent to the top of the mountain an artistically
designed metal frame covered in white paper effectively shows the effort and
risks of a rock face traverse and brilliantly shows how they carve a snow hole
for shelter overnight. But the ideas run out in the second half as one climber
spends much of the time on prone of the stage floor in the half light which is
very hard to view and engage with from then stalls.
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